We'll Not Decriminalize Homosexuality, President Uhuru Says

President Kenyatta says Kenya will not decriminalize same-sex marriages despite pressure from Western donors.

Kenyatta says Kenya must strive to become self-reliant in order to stop being pressured by donors to legalize practices that are against biblical teachings and the values of the country.

"We must ensure that our development is what we want and not that brought from outside. We should not be told that if we want money, we must legislate that a man can marry another," Uhuru says.

He adds: "Is there anything of the sort in the Bible? Wouldn't we rather stay poor?"

"This is why I have insisted, even though people are slightly angry at me, let us pay taxes. This is your money that we can use for our development and this is why I am also insisting that we must protect this money from wastage."

Donors have in the past threatened to withdraw funding if the country does not drop its hard stance on homosexuality.

During his visit to Kenya in 2015, Kenyatta told then US President Barrack Obama that Kenya is not ready to compromise its stand on homosexuality since it's not considered a human right in the Kenyan culture.

“I want to be very clear, I will not engage in any subject that is not of any major importance to the people and the Republic of Kenya. This is not an issue of human rights, this is an issue of society. This is not acceptable, this is not agreeable,” he said, a stand he reiterated during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in April.

The Kenyan Constitution outlaws homosexuality and stipulates a five-year jail term for offenders.